Jump to content

The Great Train Robbery (1903 film)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This is an old revision of this page, as edited by 64.39.127.128 (talk) at 20:52, 12 January 2006. The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.
The Great Train Robbery
Directed byEdwin S. Porter
Written byEdwin S. Porter,
Scott Marble
StarringJustus D. Barnes,
Gilbert M. Anderson
Distributed byEdison Manufacturing Company (1903)
Release dates
December 1, 1903 (USA)
Running time
12 mins
LanguageSilent

The Great Train Robbery is a 1903 western film. The film is only twelve minutes long, but it is a milestone in film making. The film used a number of innovative techniques including parallel editing, double exposure composite editing, camera movement and on location shooting. Jump-cuts or cross-cuts were a new, sophisticated editing technique. The film also employed the first pan shots.

The scenes with the gun pointing at the audience and the train rushing towards the audience had audiences at the time screaming in fear, then laughing in relief.

The movie was directed and photographed by Edwin S. Porter, a former Thomas Edison cameraman. The movie starred A.C. Abadie, Broncho Billy Anderson and Justus D. Barnes, although there were no credits.

This was Porter's most successful film. It was quite successful in theaters and was imitated many times.

The film has been selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry.

Trivia

  • The film uses simple editing techniques (each scene is a single shot) and the story is mostly linear (with only a few "meanwhile" moments) but it represents a significant step in movie making, being one of the first "narrative" movies.
  • A western filmed in New Jersey.
  • The final shot of a gun being fired toward the camera had a profound effect on audiences. As cinema was in its infancy, many people who saw the film allegedly thought that they were actually about to be shot.
  • The film was originally distributed with a note saying that the famous shot of the bandit firing his gun at the camera could be placed either at the beginning or at the end of the film, or both. Most modern prints put it at the end.
For other films and events of the same name see The Great Train Robbery
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Great_Train_Robbery_(1903_film)&oldid=34930003"